Free Advice
by kialajaray
Summary: The best advice is usually the kind that you don't ask for.


**Yay!!! This is my first fic on my new laptop! (If you're a college student who didn't have one for the first semester, you can understand why I'm so excited.) But anyway, I actually got the idea of this story from a story by Pointy Objects called A Work In Porgress. But don't worry, it's NOTHING like that. Not that I'm saying it wasn't a good drabble, but...well anyone who knows what fic I'm talking about will understand. But either way, on with the story.**

**summary: The best advice is usually the kind that you don't ask for.**

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Helga forced herself to watch as Arnold was once again rejected by Lila. It was like a repeating train crash. You knew what was going to happen and that it would be horrible, but you just couldn't tear your eyes away. With her she supposed that it was like knowing that a loved one was in the train and had no possible way to get to them in time.

She continued to watch as Lila gave Arnold a friendly smile and shake her head. And just like clock work, Arnold deflated, nodded to her in defeat and walked away from the girl. That was the forth time this semester. He must be going for a record. You'd figure that he would have given up by now, with them being juniors in high school, but then again, the same could be said for her.

Turning away from the twisted metal that was Arnold's heart, she stopped short when she saw Gerald directly behind her, shaking his head slowly.

"Geez Gerald," she said. "Do you think that you're close enough?"

Instead of saying something rude back to her, like he usually did, he looked in the direction that Arnold went and said, "You know, maybe if you wouldn't make it so obvious, maybe he would see it."

Helga knew that all of the color drained from her face. Aside from Phoebe, no one in school knew about her feelings for Arnold. And Lila of course. And most likely Brainy, and Big Patty also. And probably-

Who cared how many people knew? Either way, Gerald didn't know. How could he possibly know? "Make _what_ so obvious," she asked, feigning ignorance.

He just rolled his eyes at her. "Do we really have to play the dumb game? We both know what I'm talking about. Your love for Arnold is apparent for anyone to see if they pay attention."

"So are you my stalker now," she asked him snidely.

"Trust me Helga, you aren't my type."

"Really? I just thought that girl was your type. Lord knows it seems like you've been threw half the school."

He scowled at her. "I'm trying to give you some advice, but you're making me rethink it."

"Good, because I don't want it."

"Why not," he asked her, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. "It's free, and the best things in life are free."

"I don't have time for this," she mumbled as she brushed past him. She hadn't gone more than five feet before he took her books out of her arms and walked beside her.

"Give me my books Gerald," she told him, stopping in the high school hallway. "People are going to get the wrong idea if the see you holding my books." And Phoebe might never forgive her.

Gerald shrugged. "The hallway is practically empty, and anyone who knows us would know that _that's_ not going to happen. Besides, it might make Arnold jealous."

"Please," she said with disdain. "He only has eyes for Lila, and I told you already, I don't like Arnold." Turning away from him, she started to walk down the deserted hallway.

Following with her books in his hands, he said, "Actually, you didn't. You changed the subject then walked away." When she just kept walking and didn't answer him, he sighed. "I don't have all day. Can you just admit it so we can move on?"

"What proof do you have," she asked him, still not admitting to her secret.

"Let's just say that I notice you when I notice things that go on around you."

In other words, he noticed her feelings for Arnold while he was staring at Phoebe. She would have laughed at the humor of it all, only it wasn't funny to her.

"Look," he told her, obviously fed up. "Either you admit it or you'll find all the science lab's rats in your locker."

Helga shot him a glare as they kept walking. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious. What harm would it do if she confirmed what he already knew? That was better than have those furry, beady eyed, long toothed-

Helga shivered. She would have a heart attack if she found them in her locker. "Fine," she snapped. "I have feelings for your best friend. Are you happy?"

"Stop being so dramatic," he told her as they turned a corned. Helga was certain that the hallways had tripled in length. "But like I said earlier. Maybe if you didn't make it so obvious, maybe it would be more obvious to him."

"Do you even understand the oxymoron you just said?"

"It's the truth," he told her. "If you wouldn't go out of your way to avoid him or just make an effort to talk to him when you are around him, he might start to notice you more."

Stopping, her eyes flashed. "So you're saying that I should be sugary sweet like Lila? Have you lost your mind?"

"God no," he said, furiously shaking his head. "One of her is enough. But you're so busy trying to hide the way you feel, you completely blow him off, and that ultimately destroys any chance that you might have with him. So he's stuck following around after Lila like a lost puppy and I'm tired of it."

"Oh," she said, so angry she could have punched him. "I get it. If he starts paying attention to me, you won't be annoyed by his antics over Lila anymore, is that right?"

"Partly," he told her honestly, but before she could say anything, he said, "But it's mostly that I want Arnold to be with someone who loves him and it's obvious that that someone isn't Lila but you. And don't deny it," he said before she could object. "We both know you do."

"Why are you doing this," she asked him solemnly. She should have been ecstatic that Gerald wanted to help her with Arnold, who would know him better than his best friend? Well besides than her of course. But Helga didn't want to be anyone's charity case.

"Because," he said, just as serious. "You've loved Arnold for a long time, that's obvious. After I realized that you cared about him, I started thinking about all the stuff you did to him when we were growing up. It was kind of like flirting, but in a more violent way. Either way," he said, ignoring her glare. "We both know that Arnold isn't the smartest or brightest person when it comes to girls. He's thicker than wood if he can't see that you want him and Lila doesn't. I just think that you should have a chance. If it works out then it works out, if it doesn't, then it doesn't."

"Alright," she told him, taking her books. "I'll take your advice. But I have some to give you myself."

"I'm all ears."

"She might be more responsive to you if you wouldn't pick up and throw girls away like tissue." Without waiting to see the effect of her words, Helga turned away from Gerald and made her way to her classroom.

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**I thought about writing a Gerald/Helga fic about them discussing her and Arnold and maybe him and Phoebe, but I never wrote it. I hope that everyone liked it. So please review and tell me what you think. I have a lot of ideas for one shots, but with school, all they've been is ideas. I won't make any promises at all because I don't know when I'll have the time. With either school or me just being plain lazy, I don't know when I'm going to post anything. But I will try to put up a V-day fic. (As soon as I come up with an idea for it.) But alright, I'm done talking. So just please, review and tell me what you think.**

**kialajaray**


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